Various companies, whom I will leave unnamed, market their philatelic products through non-philatelic channels to the general public. You’ve seen the offers for gold stamps, First Day Covers, and other outrageously priced items that traditional stamp collectors avoid like the plague.

I’m occasionally offered this kind of material. Sellers are often disappointed at my offer price is only a small fraction of the original cost. “But this is a limited edition! It must be worth more than that?”

I have a standard response. Look at the brochures that these companies put out and show me where it says how many copies are made. In most cases, no quantity is given. They keep printing copies as long as they are selling. When demand dries up, that’s the limit to the number of copies sold.

These deceptive tactics are used by other similar companies. I see offers for coins, artwork, dolls, and so forth. All are “limited editions”. I just smile and turn the page.

Some people collect this stuff. If they enjoy it, fine. But don’t fall for the trap of “limited edition”. Many times it’s only bounded by the number of copies they can sell before they turn off the printing presses.